I must admit, I don't always know what's going on in the country of my birth, the Philippines. As a matter of fact, it's my father-in-law (who's English) often rings me to tell me the latest government shenanigans or when a natural calamity hits the country.
Most recently, I visited the Philippine Daily Inquirer website to be greeted by news about the latest cry of the people for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. A government official has testified before a Senate inquiry that Arroyo's husband Jose Miguel, and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos tried to get millions in kickbacks from a $339-million telecoms deal with China's state-run firm ZTE.
It amazes me how people easily forget the injustices the Filipino people experienced only 20 years ago. I was still a young girl when first People Power revolution took place, which ultimately ousted the Marcos's despicable dictatorship.
And yet, just a little over 20 years later, the scions of this same corrupt family are in power once again. Maybe not taking the highest seat in the land, but the fact that they are in public service at all, when they obviously don’t have the public interest at heart, beggars belief.
The Filipino people are tired of fighting and are losing hope that the country will every change. But at the same time, they keep on electing the same thieves, goons and unqualified politicians whose only claim to power is in their ill-gotten wealth. It’s a vicious cycle.
In contrast, anytime a politician in Britain gets associated with any wrong doing, the press and the people are quick to get to the bottom of the allegation and if found guilty, put enough pressure on the erring minister or government official so they have no choice but to swiftly resign, shamed publicly by their crime.
Not so with Filipino politicians. They will hang on to power with every shred of will they can muster, intimidating, bribing, and even killing people in the process. These people make a career out of public service, and get their equally corrupt gang of spouses, children, in-laws, and household help to replace them when their terms of office come to a close. Well, charity begins at home, right?
Until people are made accountable, punished, put in prison for their crimes, and are barred from taking up any position of public office in the future, in a few year’s time, the Filipino people will be once again taking to the streets, trying to throw out yet another politician, whom they elected only a few years before.
